Sunny, the new Obama family dog, on the South Lawn of the White House, Aug. 19, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama this week announced the addition of a new First Dog, Sunny, who joins Bo as part of the First Family. We congratulate the Obamas on their new pet, and wish them years of joy and companionship. A less prominent canine-related announcement also came out of the White House this week, through its “We the People” web site, in response to a citizen petition asking the Administration to weigh in on breed-specific legislation, measures that typically seek to prohibit or penalize pit bull-type dogs or other breeds perceived as “dangerous.”

The official White House response succinctly states, “We don’t support breed-specific legislation—research shows that bans on certain types of dogs are largely ineffective and often a waste of public resources,” and cites data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention illustrating that BSL is bad policy. The Administration is right that canine profiling doesn’t work, and just serves as a distraction from the real public safety issues that can be addressed using a multi-pronged approach to community management.

While the White House response is welcome news for pit bull-type dogs and their advocates, we hope the Administration will do more than just comment on the issue, and will take the opportunity to examine policy changes that can make a real difference for dogs. continue reading…

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